Our story
Less to rely on. More to discover.
We design and build awnings + tents, camp furniture and van interiors for life on the road, from Mersea Island in Essex. Simple, well-made kit for people who'd rather carry less. Nothing you don't need.
Less is more
Born out of wanting less
Made for the road
We were our own first customers. The further we went, the less we needed. The kit we did carry had to be simple, designed well and, above all, it had to work. Timeless and useful rather than cluttered and useless.
Stitches + Steel grew from there, and the idea hasn't changed.
- Mersea Island
- An hour east of London
- 100,000+
- S+S products on the road
- Sail loft
- Built the way sails are built
Where we're from
The sea set the brief
Our studio is on Mersea Island, the most easterly inhabited island in the UK. The sea is never far. Nor is the wind.
Traditional tent making didn't cut it, so we went to the sail loft and borrowed from people who build for the cruellest conditions. A van is a land-going vessel. We build it like one.
- Marine gradeBrass + stainless steel, not plated
- Weight firstDyneema, not eight-strand polypropylene
- Sail loft sewnThe same machines that sew yacht sails
What we make
Kit that does more with less
Awnings + tents, rails + attachments, camp furniture, van interiors + exteriors, flat-pack conversion kits, packs + bags. All of it made to pack light, store well and last.
The van is a workhorse Monday to Friday and a way out at the weekend. Our kit has to do both. Bespoke conversions happen in the workshop too.
Beyond the kit
A watchful eye
on the environment
We're a certified B Corp. From operations, governance and labour to products and environmental policy, we're part of a community that redefines success in business.
We've worked with Surfers Against Sewage for a decade: beach cleans, events and educational talks, locally and further afield. The sea shaped what we make. Looking after it follows.
- B Corp
- Certified across the business
- A decade
- With Surfers Against Sewage
- Built to last
- Gear that stays with you
On the road
Embrace the detour
